PSYCH101 Chapter Notes - Chapter 21: Operant Conditioning, Operant Conditioning Chamber, Reward System

• School: University of Waterloo
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYCH101
• Professor: Richard Ennis

Document Summary

W/ classical conditioning, we learn associations b/w events we do not control. Shaping behaviour shaping reinforcers guide behaviour toward closer and closer approximations of the desired behaviour. Positive reinforcement increasing behaviours by presenting positive reinforcers: positive reinforcer any stimulus that, when presented after a response, strengthens the response. Negative reinforcement increasing behaviours by stopping or reducing negative stimuli: negative reinforcer any stimulus that, when removed after a response, strengthens the response. Study harder for next exam negative reduced anxiety; positive better grade. Primary and conditioned reinforcers: primary reinforcer innately reinforcing stimulus, such as one that satisfied a biol"cal need, conditioned reinforcer stimulus that gains its reinforcing power through its association w/ a primary reinforcer; aka secondary reinforcer. Many examples in life: money, good grades, pleasant tone of voice all linked w/ more basic rewards. Pause only briefly after a reinforcer before returning to a high rate of responding: variable-ratio schedule reinforces a response after an unpredictable # of responses.